Patton (1970)

The World War II phase of the career of the controversial American general, George S. Patton.

Director:

Franklin J. Schaffner

Writers:

Francis Ford Coppola (screen story and screenplay), Edmund H. North (screen story and screenplay)

Stars:

George C. Scott, Karl Malden, Stephen Young

Won 7 Oscars. Another 16 wins & 8 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
George C. Scott	...	General George S. Patton Jr.
Karl Malden	...	General Omar N. Bradley
Stephen Young	...	Captain Chester B. Hansen
Michael Strong	...	Brigadier General Hobart Carver
Carey Loftin	...	General Bradley's Driver (as Cary Loftin)
Albert Dumortier	...	Moroccan Minister
Frank Latimore	...	Lieutenant Colonel Henry Davenport
Morgan Paull	...	Captain Richard N. Jenson
Karl Michael Vogler	...	Field Marshal Erwin Rommel
Bill Hickman	...	General Patton's Driver
Pat Zurica	...	First Lieutenant Alexander Stiller (as Patrick J. Zurica)
James Edwards	...	Sergeant William George Meeks
Lawrence Dobkin	...	Colonel Gaston Bell
David Bauer	...	Lieutenant Gen. Harry Buford
John Barrie	...	Air Vice-Marshal Sir Arthur Coningham

Storyline

"Patton" tells the tale of General George S. Patton, famous tank commander of World War II. The film begins with Patton's career in North Africa and progresses through the invasion of Europe and the fall of the Third Reich. Side plots also speak of Patton's numerous faults such his temper and tendency toward insubordination, faults that would prevent him from becoming the lead American general in the Normandy Invasion as well as to his being relieved as Occupation Commander of Germany.

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Plot Keywords:

general | allies | destiny | tank | tough guy | 

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Taglines:

Direct from its sensational reserved seat engagement.

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | War

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Certificate:

GP

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English German French Russian Arabic Italian

Release Date:

2 April 1970 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Salute to a Rebel

Filming Locations:

Royal Palace of Madrid, Madrid, Madrid, Spain

Box Office

Budget:

$12,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$61,700,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox

Technical Specs

Runtime:

172 min

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) (Westrex Recording System) Mono (35 mm prints) DTS 70 mm (70 mm re-release)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The only Best Picture Oscar nominee not nominated in either of the support acting categories that year.

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Goofs

As Patton's army sweeps through France, he surveys wreckage on a battlefield. He asks an aide how he knows the Germans are in trouble and then answers his own question by pointing out that the Germans are using carts. It is a common misconception that the German Army was completely motorized, probably because so much German propaganda footage showing motorized units have been integrated into TV documentaries over the years. Although some German divisions were mechanized, most were not and German soldiers got from place to place by using rail transport, horse-drawn carts, and by walking. Patton should have known this and not been fooled by the presence of carts.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Patton: Now I want you to remember that no bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country.

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Crazy Credits

One of the very, very few Twentieth Century-Fox films in which that company's logo is not shown at all, beginning or end. The film simply begins with the opening speech, and the opening Fox logo is replaced with an in-credit text-only notice after the speech. However, recent television showings have added the logo (not on DVD prints), and the addition is obviously spliced in from another piece of film.

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Connections

Referenced in Star Trek: Nemesis (2002)

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Soundtracks

The Stars and Stripes Forever
(uncredited)
Music by John Philip Sousa

User Reviews

Fascinating bio of hard-ass WWII general

Question: when is it okay for Hollywood to make up harmless anecdotes about a real-life subject? Answer: when you've got the character down so good you can say with assurance what he would have done given the chance. This is the movie bio to end all movie bios, a perennial on my all-time top ten list, with a career performance by Scott that defined Patton as much as Patton ever did. The film takes us from Africa through Sicily to the climatic run across France towards Germany, along the way exploring the general's complex and textured character. Picks and chooses among the real general's most notable moments, passing on his celebrated potty break on the crossing of the Rhine into Germany and his ill-fated attempt to relieve a POW camp. I suspect the portrayal is a tad overdone but forgivably so - Darren McGavin's later portrayal of Patton as a whiny weasel was much further from the mark. Supporting cast-mates Malden as Bradley and Bates as Mongomery are spot-on. I can't speak for you, but this movie is long and I'd still stick around to see more of George in action.